Survival Cont
by amy.ward.906
Summary: Several years after being adopted by the Baxter's Amy comes to work at NCIS. What will happen during her time as part of this team?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: okay some of this has been written, but just sitting on my hard drive. So now I am posting it. I know everyone liked how I ended Survival, so I chose to continue it a bit. Most of it is written but needs a bit of editing. Now this first chapter takes place towards the end of Survival. If you haven't read that, then you need to. Or else none of this fic will make sense. This chapter…well its kind of a missing scene in between Gibbs rescuing Amy and her coming to work at NCIS. The basic idea came to me in a dream. There was a bar involved and DiNozzo was in drag. Why? I have no clue. My brain is weird to say the least. So with some editing and twisting and detail thrown here, here is the end of this long author's note and the beginning of Survival Cont. Oh I don't own NCIS…**

She was at a club, a Goth club. Not her usual scene, but it was a friendly setting. She wasn't Goth, but the regulars welcomed her anyway. After paying the cover fee, getting her hand stamped and dancing a bit, she drank some soda. Then she danced some more, this time to _Evanescence's_ _ **"Anything For You"**_

Once the song ended she went to get a refill of her drink. At the bar, she was helped by a familiar face. "Amy?" asked the bartender.

"Do I know you?" Amy questioned, a bit confused. The woman looked a bit familiar, but Amy wasn't sure where she knew her from.

"I'm Abby. I helped solve your case a few years back."

"NCIS?" Amy asked, to which Abby nodded. "If you're NCIS, then why are you bartending?"

"I'm covering for a friend. It gets me a few extra bucks." Abby told her.

"Good reason," Amy smiled and laughed a bit before asking "Can I have a Coke?"

"You got it," Abby said refilling her drink. Then giving the girl her drink, she asked Amy, "I'm gonna take a break. I need some fresh air. You want to come with?"

"Sure," Amy said following the Goth NCIS agent/bartender outside.

Stepping outside and breathing in the cool air, the two women leaned against the brick alley wall of the club. "So I heard you got adopted?" Abby asked Amy.

"Uh-huh."

"How old are you now?" Abby wondered.

"I turned 19 last month."

"Happy belated birthday," Abby told Amy.

"Thanks Abby."

"You're welcome."

After a minute or two of silence, Amy asked Abby, "Hey, it's probably none of my business, but I was wondering…"

"Yeah?"

"How is everyone?" Ever since being rescued and then adopted, there wasn't some point in her life when she didn't think about the few days she had spent in the presence of the team at NCIS.

"Gibbs is doing fine. I can tell he still thinks about you."

"Really?" Amy asked. That stunned her. There must have been hundreds of cases in the past few years, if not thousands. Yet the boss-man remembered her.

"Yeah. You made him smile. It's hard to make him smile." Abby said.

"I bet. What about the famous Tom E. Gemcity?" Amy asked, curious about McGee.

"You read McGee's books?"

"The Baxter's got them for me for an adoption present, the whole collection."

"Cool."

"Yeah, I thought so," said Amy. "So how's Tony?"

Abby's face fell, which Amy immediately noticed. "What happened?" Amy asked. Tony may not have been number one in her mind when she thought about NCIS, but he was nice to her.

"About a year after your case, Tony went undercover and was killed. They couldn't even bury his body."

Amy and Abby both stood there in silence at the memory of Tony. Then Abby looked at her watch. "My break's over. Wanna go back in?"

Amy nodded and followed her back inside. It was only 10 minutes later that everything went to hell. A crowd of guys came into the club. Immediately after arrival they knocked out the bouncers, destroyed the cameras and emptied out most of the club in a matter of 5 minutes.

Left in the club was 15 people who were being used as hostages. Guns were pointed at them. 13 of these people were just off the dance floor, sitting at a few tables. The other two people were Abby and Amy, being put by the bar. Amy and Abby still had no clue on what the reason behind this attack was.

Then a dead man came in…Tony DiNozzo.

At least Amy thought it was him, but that was impossible. Abby said he was killed. Until she knew for sure, she didn't dare say anything to Abby.

One of the guys that attacked the club started getting grabby with Abby **(A/N: cute rhyme?)** so even though Amy probably shouldn't have, she stepped in. "Hey back off!"

The guy turned to her. "You got a problem?"

"Amy, I'm fine," Abby told her.

"Yeah," said the guy. "We're just getting to know one another." The guy then backed off…but not for long. He started in again and Amy couldn't help it. She shoved him away from Abby. "I said, leave her alone."

Of course because of her big mouth, this guy now had her pinned against the bar. "You really don't know when to quit, do you?"

"Back off," one guy told this creep.

"Really? Why should I Jack?"

Pointing the gun right at him, he said, "Agent DiNozzo NCIS!"

Then the FBI busted in. During the takedown however, the creep fired a shot which clipped Amy right in the upper part of her left arm. Creepy was then tackled to the ground and placed in handcuffs. Pushing past the officer, who was reading Creepy his rights, Tony ran over to Abby who was crouched down next to Amy, helping her apply pressure with napkins to her wound.

"Tony?" Abby gasps seeing this man's face. "I thought you were dead?" Abby asks in shock at her best friend being alive.

"Later Abbs," he says to Abby. Then he looks at Amy, who was clutching her arm, her hand covered in blood. "Hey squirt," he says to her. Like the rest of the team, he didn't forget the girl.

"Hey Tony."

"Just hang on." Then he yells, "We need an ambulance!" Then turning back to Amy he says, "I bet it hurts." Abby gave Tony a Gibbs-slap, well an Abby-slap since Gibbs wasn't there.

"Thanks Abby. I missed those."

Amy smiles and says with a grimace on her face, "Not too bad," trying to be tough and breathing through the pain. As she was loaded into the ambulance and taken to the hospital, she knew she would be in trouble. Her parents were gonna freak when they heard about this.


	2. Chapter 2

As Amy entered her apartment, she hung up her jacket and put her cell phone on the coffee table. Not even bothering to take off her shoes, she flopped, in a less than graceful manner, onto her couch. The team had just finished up their most recent case and all she wanted to do right now was sleep. _'Thank God for coffee and half of Abby's Calf-Pow'_ she thought. Drinking just half of it though gave Amy just a bit more energy than she was used to having.

Right then her stomach rumbled, so she forced herself to get up off the couch and grab a Pop-Tart from her cupboard. On her way to the kitchen she saw her answering machine blinking at her, so she hit PLAY. **_"You have one new message"_** Sighing in annoyance at the automated voice, she waited to see who the message was from as she opened the package and took a bite from the cold pastry, not bothering to heat it.

 _"_ _Miss Baxter this is Tom Lancaster. I am with the law firm that represents your father, Adam Parks. He asked me to pass along the request of wanting to speak to you. If you would please contact me at your earliest convenience at_ _(202) 555-0196."_

 **BEEP!** _ **"**_ _ **End of message."**_

After hearing this message, she tossed away the rest of the Pop-Tart, not being able to finish it. Laying on her couch and curling up, she started thinking about stuff. Anything to get her mind off that phone message. But it seemed impossible.

After being rescued by NCIS, then adopted by the Baxter's, she stopped thinking about Adam. She had barely known Adam before everything had happened back then. And right now he was the last person she wanted popping back into her life.

Shaking her head and rubbing it a bit to ward off the oncoming headache, she flipped on the TV. As she watched some mindless sitcom, she drifted off to sleep.

 _Dream state…_

 **There she was, 16 years old and tied in that stupid crawl space. She couldn't get free and the smoke invaded her nostrils. Part of her knew that she was dreaming, so that part knew Gibbs would come rescue her.**

 **But it soon became clear to her that Gibbs wasn't coming. As the smoke made it harder to breathe and the heat from the flames came closer to the space she was tied up it, she did everything she could to make herself wake up...**

 **Panic welled up in her throat…**

 **RING! RING!**

"Ahh!" Letting out a short yelp as she tumbled off the couch, still tangled in the blanket she had covered herself with last night, she gasped for air as she tried to shake the images from the nightmare from her mind. On the TV, the morning news was airing.

RING! RING!

Her work phone continued to sound off. Picking up the cell from the coffee table, she slid the icon to answer. "Baxter."

 _"_ _Morning to you too, squirt."_

Of course it would have to be Tony calling her. "What is it Tony?"

 _"_ _Grouchy aren't we?" He heard a slight growl from the other end of the line. "Okay, okay. Look we got a case."_

"Kind of figured. Where at?"

 _"_ _Yards Park."_

"K. Tell Gibbs I'll see you guys there."

 _"_ _K." Before DiNozzo hung up, he asked, "You okay kid?"_

"Not a kid DiNozzo. But yeah I'm fine." Then she disconnected the call. She grinned at bit as Tony calling her a kid. Since she had come to work at NCIS, Gibbs had come to consider her a daughter like he did Abby. Same with Tony looking on her like an older brother. Abby was like a sister to her. NCIS was her family.

Getting into her car, she made a pit stop at her favorite deli and snagged a coffee. Then sipping it, she plugged in Yards Park into her GPS. Using the directions she found herself there in roughly 20 minutes. Thank god it was still somewhat early, so she was able to beat the traffic. Even with living in DC as long as she had, she didn't know where everything was. But once she made a few turns along the way, she was able to use a few shortcuts to get to the crime scene a bit faster.

Once she got there and parked, she got out. Tossing the coffee cup in the trash, she carefully made her way to the crime scene. There near the outdoor stage, she saw the team already starting to process things.

Taking a pair of gloves from Ziva, she said, "Hey guys. So what's going on?"

 _Later on…_

It was the day three of the current case; two bodies had been found on that outdoor stage when the catering service and small stage crew showed up to set up for an afternoon orchestra performance. According to Ducky the bodies weren't even 6 hours old. That should have made the case easy, but it didn't. Security had been lax the previous night and with the rainfall from the evening of the body drop, it had cleared away quite a bit of evidence. But Abby was doing her utmost best to get as much evidence as possible.

And everyone knew Abby was a miracle worker…

Anyway, this morning started out rough. "Yeah…okay, thanks. I'll be right there." Amy said then hung up the phone. Slipping on her jacket, she headed to the elevator. As the doors opened, Gibbs stepped off. "Baxter, where are you going?"

"I have to pay my rent. I just got off the phone with my landlord and the system he uses for automatic payments is on the fritz. So I have to go see him in person. I'll be gone an hour, tops."

"Fine. Do that, then get back here and see if Abby needs some help. If not, take McGee and check on this address." He handed her a piece of paper.

"New lead?" She asked.

"That's what your job is. To find out if it is a new lead." Gibbs told her, then walked to his desk, coffee in hand.

"Right Boss." Getting on the elevator, she exited the building.

After leaving the lot, she swung by the ATM to get her rent money. Then she went to her apartment complex and paid the landlord, who gave her a receipt. "Thanks for understand Amy."

"It's not your fault Tom." She told her landlord. "Electronics screw up sometimes."

"Yeah, well you would not believe how many of the tenants have been grouching at me about this."

"Don't think I want to know. I'll see you later." Then she went to the post office and checked her PO Box for any mail she might have. As she sat in the driver's seat and went through the small pile she found she had about 5 pieces of junk mail, 3 of them advertising sales. Setting aside the ones that had coupons, she opened the last piece of mail which was a legal envelope. Reading it, her hands started shaking. Throwing the letter in her passenger seat, she gripped the steering wheel. _'Okay girl, keep it together. You can deal with this after the case.'_

Drinking the last of her coffee before tossing the cup, she headed back to NCIS.

 _Later that afternoon…_

Coming back into the bullpen with McGee, Amy was pissed to say the least. The address Gibbs sent them to check out was that of the security guard. It turned out he had been drunk that night of the body drop. The most he remembered was seeing a woman on the grounds that evening around 3 AM. At least he thought it was a woman. If that wasn't bad enough, just as they were leaving his address it started to downpour. _'Of course I didn't bring my jacket'_ Amy thought as she ran for her car. This rain made Amy and McGee soaked. And it only lasted 10 minutes.

With a vague lead and being soaked through, let's just say Amy Baxter was not in a pleasant mood as she walked back into the bullpen. Dropping her bag back at her desk she went to Abby to see if she could borrow a t-shirt of some kind, while McGee briefed Gibbs of their findings.

About 10 minutes later, Amy walked back to her desk wearing a tank top and a pair of black checkered leggings that belonged to Abby. She just thanked the stars that her and the forensic scientist wore roughly the same size clothing. So this way she was in dry clothes, albeit borrowed, while her own clothing dried out.

While piecing together what they had from the case so far, which was very little, in the silent breaks of course something crazy would happen…

DiNozzo just had to shoot off his mouth and right now she was in no mood for his comments about anything. The second he made a comment about something only he thought was funny, she flipped. "Zip it Anthony!" she yelled at him while throwing something at his head. The first thing she was able to grab which happened to be a small stapler on her desk. At the fast and unsuspecting throw, he was ducked down just in time.

"BAXTER!" yelled Gibbs. She had been caught. "My office." As she walked towards the elevator Gibbs said, "You too McGee." Both of them inside, Gibbs looked at her like he did at Abby sometimes. "What's going on?" He knew she wouldn't flip out that like. Even with the stress of the case. So something else had to be bugging her.

She was about to tell him that it was nothing. That she was fine, but she couldn't lie to him, not with that look on his face. What's more is she didn't want to.

As she handed him the piece of paper that was in her mail this morning, this paper the reason for her mood, her back went against the elevator wall and she slowly slid down to the floor, then brought her legs against herself, wrapping her arms around them.

Gibbs read the paper, then handed it to McGee to read, before sitting down next to her. Now he understood. The letter from her biological father's lawyer requesting a visit. Turns out she had received a phone call as well. _'Why didn't she come to me about this?'_ he thought. "Do you want to see him?" Gibbs asked her. _Him_ being her sperm donor.

In a voice close to a whisper she said, "I don't know." Then as her voice raised a bit she continued. "I'm trained to be objective and keep my emotions in check while at work. But then I get one phone call and I feel like I'm 16 years old again." She wiped the tears from her eyes that she hadn't even noticed were there until just now. Standing up she said, "I'll turn in my badge." She knew she was no good as an agent if she let her emotions get the better of her.

But Gibbs wasn't going to let that happen. "No. You and McGee take the rest of the week and the weekend off. I'll see you both on Monday." The case was hitting a dead spot right now anyway. And if Gibbs gut was correct then the team could solve it without McGee or Amy. Nodding at McGee with a silent gesture, McGee nodded back before leaving NCIS with Amy. Gibbs and McGee both knew that Amy Baxter should not be left alone right now.

 **A/N: Okay this chapter was getting so long, I had to stop it here. But it will be continued very soon. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!**


	3. Chapter 3

Just as McGee was about to leave NCIS with Amy in tow, Abby stopped them. "Hey McGee!" she called out. "Glad I caught you two." She handed Amy a bag. "Your clothes just got done drying."

McGee nodded at Amy. "Go change. I'll wait." Amy went with Abby into the bathroom and did a quick change. Coming back out in her own clothes, she hugged Abby and went with McGee to his car. McGee wasn't going to let her drive. She was still visibly upset, hands shaking slightly and eyes red from holding back tears. Besides her car would be safe here.

With a pit stop at Amy's apartment so she could pack a small duffle of clothing, the two of them soon arrived at McGee's apartment. Once they entered, Amy told McGee, "I'm gonna grab a quick shower."

"Yeah sure." He responded.

As she entered the bedroom, she noticed that everything still looked like it had when she was here last. God that seemed so long ago, but in a way…not so much. Shaking her head she threw her duffle on the bed. Then unzipping it, she grabbed something comfy from it to wear after her shower.

Heading into the shower, she stood under the scalding spray, her mind racing. She took deep breaths trying to get her mind to relax, but she wasn't sure if she could. After a few minutes, she cleaned herself up and shut off the water before getting out. Drying off she pulled on a pair of well-worn jeans and a tank top. As she was throwing her hair back into a low pony tail she heard a knock on the apartment door.

Finishing up in the bathroom, she called out, "Tim? Who is it?" Leaving the bedroom, she saw a familiar face sprawled out on the couch. "Jethro!" she exclaimed. Running over to the couch, she hugged the German Shepard and was rewarded with doggie kisses. "The groomer just dropped him off." McGee told Amy.

"That's great!" Amy said. She always loved having this fur ball around. It was then that McGee decided to talk to Amy. He didn't want to, not with her looking so happy right then. But if he didn't, then the topic would never be resolved. "Amy, do you want to go see him?"

Amy froze, her hand stilling on Jethro's fur. She was silent at first, then she bounced off the couch. "Jethro, are ya hungry boy?" Grabbing his leash from where it was hanging by the door, she clipped it to his collar. As she slipped on her sneakers, McGee touched her shoulder. "Amy-

"I'm gonna take Jethro for a walk. Maybe stop by Rosa's Deli on the way back to get him that T-R-E-A-T he likes," she said rubbing the German Shepard's head, her hand scratching behind his left ear, before she slipped on her windbreaker. Sensing the discomfort coming from his mistress, Jethro whined. "Do you want pizza or Chinese?" she asked McGee.

"Amy-

"Maybe I'll grab both." Then took off out the door before McGee could stop her.

Getting out of the apartment as fast as she could with the German Shepard, it wasn't until she was outside of the building before she felt like she could breathe again. Just down the block, there was a bench that she chose to sit on. Jethro whined at her, a bit worried. "I'm sorry boy. I just-

Taking a deep breath, she let it out in a sigh. "I just don't know what to do. Got any advice?"

He let out a WOOF and tugging at the leash a bit before giving her a doggy grin. This made her laugh. "Okay, okay." Getting off the bench she said, "How about we get some food? Maybe stop at Rosa's huh?" Another tug confirmed her decision. With that human and dog jogged off down the street.

A few blocks later, the NCIS duo came to one of the better areas for locally owned shops that made fast food. Well at least in Amy Baxter's opinion. But before she decided on what to get for dinner, she went into one of the multiple corner stores.

Opening the door, a little bell jingled above her. _'Gotta love that'_ she thought. Things like the bell and not one of those automated buzzers or beepers, were one of the many reasons Amy shopped local. It had a personal touch.

As Amy entered the shop, an older woman with olive skin came over to her. "Ah there's my sweet girl." Hugging her, she stepped back and shook a finger at her. "You don't stop by that often."

"You know me Rosa," Amy replied. "Gotta pay the bills."

Making a **_tsk_** sound Rosa shook her head. "It's always work. What about fun in your life? Huh? Carpe diem, my little one." A WOOF brought the attention of the older woman to Amy's side, where the German Shepard was sitting. "At least you brought the mongrel around for once." Petting the dog's head, she asked, "And how is my beautiful doggie?" Moving back to the counter, she grabbed something. "I think Auntie Rosaline has something for you." Holding out her hand, Jethro takes the homemade organic dog biscuit that Rosa makes just for him. Moving her attention back to Amy, Rosa asks her, "So what do I owe this visit too?"

"Just taking the mutt out for a walk. Would you mind watching him while I go down the street to Antonio's for a bite?"

The old woman could tell that the agent was avoiding the question. "Of course, but we talk when you get back." Rosa's tone left no room for argument.

"Yes ma'am."

"Good girl," Rosa said. "Now go fill that belly of yours and you tell that Antonio not to skimp you on those breadsticks he keeps raving about eh?"

Amy nodded in agreement before heading down the block to her favorite pizza place. Stepping into the establishment, she was greeted with a hug as the owner stepped out from behind the counter. "Ah, there's my favorite customer. You missing my pizza?"

"Just the breadsticks," she joked back.

"Your mouth may say bread, but your eyes say pizza. Yes?"

"Hey Antonio!" Cissy, Antonio's wife yelled from the kitchen, "You gonna work or gab all day?" Shaking his head, he said to Amy, "Women huh?" This earned him a playful punch on the arm from the NCIS agent. "Alright, take a seat. I'll get you your usual cookin' while Robby brings you some iced tea."

"Sounds good. Hey Antonio? Can I get some garlic knots and a couple slices of white pizza as well?"

"Sure thing kiddo. Anything else?" he asked her.

"Yeah. I'll have 2 slices of pineapple and olive." Amy told him.

"You got it. Hey Robby!" Antonio called out to his son. "What's up Pop?" "Take a break and bring this pretty young lady some iced tea. Keep her company while she waits."

"Pretty, huh?" Robby questioned as he prepared a pitcher. "Got a name?"

"Has it been that long between visits?" Amy asked, then cracked a grin as Robby saw who it was. He set down the pitcher full of iced tea and Amy was immediately smothered in a hug. "Girl, where have you been?" Robby asked her.

 _45 minutes later…_

Amy left with 2 large pizza boxes in her hands and her slices and garlic knots in Styrofoam containers tied up in a plastic bag sitting on top of the pizza boxes. It had been nice to catch up with some of the locals. Plus it had taken her mind off things. But as she headed back to Rosa's to get Jethro, she knew what was coming the second she walked through the door of the bodega. As she entered the shop, she saw Rosa spoiling the German Shepard with belly rubs.

Setting the food on the counter, she let out a whistle which caused the dog to look in her direction and stand at attention. "Come," she called to Jethro who obediently picked up his leash in his mouth and walked over to his mistress. Amy clipped the leash to his collar. "Thanks Rosa," she said to the old woman.

"Ah-ah," Rosa said, stopping her. "We talk, then you leave. What has you so upset?"

Knowing she might as well confide in Rosa, she spoke. "Got a letter that has me indecisive. Personal problems."

"And you're running from them." Rosa shook her head. "Stubborn, just like that boss of yours. Child, you need not to run. You need to face. Listen to old Rosa. I know things." Feeding Jethro one more homemade biscuit, Rosa said to Amy, "Talk to the person closest to you, then make a decision. Now go. I got work to do."

Picking up the food from the counter Amy took the food and the dog back to Timothy's apartment. As she entered the apartment, Tim rose from the couch. "Hey you okay?" he asked her.

"I could use some help with this food." She told him. The boxes were getting kinda heavy.

"Oh yeah." McGee took the top box and the plastic bag from her arms. "Thanks," Amy told him.

* * *

During dinner, Tim almost asked her again if she wanted to see her dad, but instead something else came out of his mouth. "You know I almost went in after you that day."

Mouth full of garlic knots, Amy finished chewing. Swallowing she asked, "What?"

"The day of the fire, I almost went in the house. Gibbs stopped me."

"And he came in after me instead." Amy finished. McGee nodded. "The fire department was on their way, but I knew they wouldn't reach you in time."

"Why would you risk your life for me? I was just a victim in a case. I mean, I know it's your job…"

"You weren't just a victim. Or a case Amy." Timothy told her. "From the second the team met you, you changed us. All of us." Clearing the dishes, Tim continued. "I've never seen Ziva intrigued by another other kid. Very few people can make Gibbs smile. Abby is one of the few, besides you that is."

These words from McGee left her thinking. How much she meant to the team, if she didn't deal with this, could she continue her job at NCIS?

 _11PM…_

"So what are we going to do about the sleeping arraignments?" Amy asked McGee. There was only one bed.

"Well, I have a sleeping bag. So I could sleep in that and you have the bed."

"I can take the sleeping bag," Amy told him. "I've already taken your bed enough."

"That was years ago." McGee told her. "How about we both sleep in the bed? Its big enough."

That sounded logical to Amy and they were both adults. Nothing would happen. "Sure." Once Tim was in a pair of pajama pants and t-shirt and Amy was in an knee-length sleep shirt and boy-shorts, the two agents settled in the bed. Jethro was already in his kennel for the night. After McGee shut off the light, Amy asked, "Tim?"

"Yeah?"

"I really matter that much to the team?" she asked him. His response was to pull her into his arms and hug her. "Night Agent Baxter."

A small smile graced her lips in the dark. "Night Agent McGee." That night she had what had to be the best night's sleep of her life.


	4. Chapter 4

The next morning, the two agents were sitting at the kitchen/dining table, in the middle of breakfast. McGee had a mouth full of scrambled eggs and a piece of bacon in his hand which was halfway to his mouth when Amy told him, "I want to."

Swallowing his food, he asked, "You want to what?"

"I want to go. I need to go see _him_." She did. She needed closure. She had her family now. Her family consisted of the Baxter's and her work family at NCIS. She didn't need Adam, but she did need the closure of saying goodbye to him and getting him out of her life and her mind for good.

Tim knew what she meant. "Okay, we can head to the prison in a bit." He told her. After breakfast was finished and the dishes were cleared, Timothy and Amy got in the car with Jethro in the backseat and drove to the prison. During the drive, silence filled the car. Amy's hands shook a bit as she re-read the letter that Adam's lawyer had sent her. All it basically said was a repeat of the phone message, that Adam wanted to see her, but it didn't say why.

Out of the corner of his eye, Tim saw the way she looked at that piece of paper in her hands. "Amy-

"Timothy McGee, don't you dare slow down or turn this car around." Amy told him. He pulled the car to the side of the road and shut off the engine. When she whipped her head to the side and glared at him, he held his hands up and stated, "Hey you didn't say I couldn't stop the car." She just rolled her eyes. "Amy no one is forcing you to do this, you know. You don't have to do this."

"Yes, I do Tim. I have to do this."

"Are you sure?" McGee asked her. Amy looked at the piece of paper and folded it up, sticking it in her coat pocket. Jethro sat up in the backseat and whined at his mistress, laying his head on the back of her seat, giving her his best puppy-dog eyes. She reached back and petted the dog. "I'm sure McGee. Just drive."

About an hour later, the car pulled up to the prison gate. "I'm sorry sir, but visiting hours aren't until 2PM."

"Agent McGee, NCIS," McGee told the guard and showed his badge. "Agent Baxter and I are here to see Adam Parks." Amy pulled out her badge and showed the guard as well.

The guard nodded. "You two here on business?"

McGee opened his mouth, but Amy spoke first. "In a matter of speaking." It was business-related. Personal business, but business never the less. The guard gave the two agents a knowing look. "The dog can't go beyond the main office."

"He's a NCIS dog." McGee told the guard.

"Sorry, don't want the dog getting hurt. We got a few dogs of our own here. Whichever one of you are going in the back, will be protected just fine."

McGee sighed and nodded. He knew right now they were off the clock and would have to obey the prison rules. The guard handed them a pass for the car windshield before he opened the gates and let the car drive through.

Once McGee parked the car and shut off the engine, he got out once Amy did. Opening the rear passenger door, he let out a low whistle and out jumped Jethro. McGee attached the leash to the dog's collar and he and Jethro walked alongside Amy into the administrative office of the prison. Neither of them took notice that McGee held Amy's hand until they walked inside.

"Can I help you?" one of the officers asked them.

Taking a deep breath, Amy pulled out her badge and showed it saying, "Agent Baxter to see Adam Parks. Don't tell Adam who's here to see him though."

"Personal visit? Or interrogation?" the officer asked.

"Personal business." Amy replied.

Picking up the phone, the officer said, "Yeah Adam Parks has a visitor…Yeah I know visiting hours aren't until 2…It's a special case...yeah. They're authorized." Hanging up, the officer told Amy, "Okay, leave any weapons here and I'll take you back to the visiting section." Un-holstering her weapon, she checked the safety and left it with McGee before following the officer into the visiting room.

 _Meanwhile…_

After hanging up the phone, one of the guards picked up his radio and walked back into the cells. "C Block! Open cell 81227!" As Adam Parks is cuffed, he asked, "So what's going on?"

"Got a visitor."

"Who?" he asked the guard, to which the guard shrugs, before leading the prisoner to the visiting room.

* * *

Once Adam was uncuffed, he sat down and looked at the woman on the other side of the glass. Picking up the phone he asks, "So you gotta be one special lady to get me out of my cell before scheduled visiting hours. Who are you?"

"I'm surprised you don't know." The lady replied.

Scratching at the small bit of beard he'd grown, his face had a puzzled look on it as he tried to figure out who this woman was. Snapping his fingers he says, "Ah I got it. My lawyer sent you right? You some intern of his or something?"

"Your lawyer did send me, yes, but he said you wanted to see me." She pulled out a piece of paper from her pocket. Adam looked shocked. "You mean you're…?"

She nodded. "Hi Adam."

 **A/N: Okay I chose to leave this on a cliffhanger. More to come soon. Please review!**


	5. Chapter 5

_Previously: "Yes, your lawyer did send me." As she pulled a piece of paper from her pocket, Adam looked shocked. "You mean you're…?"_

Adam couldn't believe this woman was his daughter. She was all grown up. "It's been a long time."

"You mean since you tried to kill me? Yeah, it's been 10 years," she told him, never forgetting her close brush with death.

"So, you're how old now?"

"I'm 26." She stated, silently fuming. "A father should know how old his daughter is," she said, basically telling him he was no father to her. Deciding to change the subject Adam asked her, "So what do you do?"

She figured there was no harm in her telling him. "I work at NCIS."

"You're a cop?" he asked.

She nodded, then sighed before asking him, "Look, why did you want to see me?"

He set the phone down for a second before rubbing his hands through what was left of his hair. Amy could tell he was tense, frustrated. A minute or two passed before Adam picked the phone back up. "Look sweetie-

"Don't call me that." She hissed at him, her teeth clenched.

"Fine," he said. "Look Amy, I fucked up. I've been fucking up since you were born. Probably even since before you were born. I've been in and out of jail, stealing; petty things. Small crimes that I did for quick money to provide for you and your mom. It never lasted long."

"No shit." Before her mom died, she remembered how tough things were for the two of them.

Adam sighed and continued. "When the accident happened, I should have been there trying to take care of you. But I wasn't. I was in jail. Again. So, Child Services took you. But when I got out jail, I started to look for you. It took a while and when Sam wouldn't let me talk to you, well…" They both knew what happened. "And when I saw you staying with a cop, I just wanted to talk to you, but I couldn't get near you."

"So you kidnapped me."

"Yeah." He wasn't proud of his actions

"You tried to kill me."

"Look I know alright?" He shouted, which earned him a glare from the guard. "Sorry," he apologized. Focusing back on Amy he continued. "When the cops showed up at my place, I snapped. It's no excuse." He told her, seeing the look on her face, like she was about to lecture him. ' _God, she has no idea how much she looks just like her mom right now'_ "Now I gotta pay for it for the rest of my life."

Amy was in disbelief. "So, what? You wanted me here just to apologize?"

"For one thing, yeah. I know I don't deserve your forgiveness."

"Good," she scoffed at him, crossing her arms. "Because you're not getting it." That might have been petty, but she couldn't find it in her heart to forgive him. Not for what he had done.

Adam nodded at this. He didn't expect her to accept his apology, but he knew he had to say it.

"You said that was one thing you wanted me here for. What was the other reason?"

"When you leave, ask the front desk for my items. I had them hold onto a couple of things to give to you. I've already had my lawyer authorize it and I've signed the necessary documents as well. All that's needed is your signature."

"What are these items?" Amy questioned him.

"You'll see." He told her. She hung up the phone and stood up, but before she could leave he knocked on the glass. Looking back in the direction of the booth, as the guard cuffed him, he mouthed the words, _"I'm sorry peanut."_ Then he was escorted back to his cell.

As Amy was escorted back to the front desk, she saw McGee rise once she came through the door. Motioning for him to sit back down, she went to the desk. "Excuse me? Adam told me I needed to sign for a couple of things."

"Name?" the clerk asked.

"Amy Baxter. The items belonged to Adam Parks."

The clerk then went into a small locked closet and came out with a box. Grabbing a clipboard she told Amy, "Okay sign right here," she said, indicating where Amy's signature was needed.

Scrawling her name, Amy was then given the box. McGee gave her back her weapon, which she holstered, before picking up the box in one hand and taking Jethro's leash from McGee with the other. Then she and McGee went back out to the car, Jethro never leaving Amy's side. In the car, McGee opened his mouth, but she stopped him before he could speak. "Not right now Tim." She told him. What Adam had said to her before he was taken back to his cell left her shaken. _'Peanut'_ That was what her mom used to call her. Was it a coincidence or something more?

Refusing to think about it right then, she shook her head, pushing away the thoughts and told McGee, "Just drive." Exiting the prison gates and heading back to the main part of the city, most of the drive was silent. After a bit though it just got too quiet for Amy, so she flipped on the radio. She didn't want the silence; it was unnerving her right then. Turning the dial, she tried to find a decent station. Soon enough the noise of one of the local radio stations filled the car.

 _"_ _Hey everybody, if you're just tuning in, you've listening to WIHT- HOT 99.5 the #1 hit music station located right here in the DC area. This is Jaime Ferreira, bringing you the top hits and this next hit coming at you is_ _ **"The Reason"**_ _by_ _ **Hoobastank.**_ _"_

The opening beats had Amy tapping her feet along with the music as she stared out of the car window, letting the sights of the city limits drift before her eyes. She had always been a music person, loving all kinds of tunes. For some reason, music helped her focus better sometimes. But when the lyrics of this song started to play, they really hit home for her.

 **I'm not a perfect person**

 **There's many things I wish I didn't do**

 **But I continue learning**

 **I never meant to do those things to you**

 **And so I have to say before I go**

 **That I just want you to know**

 **I've found a reason for me**

 **To change who I used to be**

 **A reason to start over new**

 **And the reason is you**

 **I'm sorry that I hurt you**

 **It's something I must live with everyday**

 **And all the pain I put you through**

 **I wish that I could take it all away**

 **And be the one who catches all your tears**

 **That's why I need you to hear**

 **I've found a reason for me**

 **To change who I used to be**

 **A reason to start over new**

 **And the reason is you**

McGee heard her sob a bit. Looking over her saw tears on her face, so he shut off the radio. "Amy?" She quickly wiped the tears from her face and her eyes. "I'm fine." She didn't want Tim to see her crying. McGee could tell she was shutting down, so he made a few turns and pulled into a park. Getting out of the car, he opened the back door, letting Jethro out before opening the front passenger door and handing Amy a tissue from a small travel pack in his pocket. "Thanks," she said, before blowing her nose and stepping out of the car as well and tossing the used Kleenex in a trash can. She followed McGee over to a bench, the box from the prison still in her hands, and sat down.

The three of them just sat there, people-watching for a bit. "So what's in that box anyway?" McGee asked her. "No clue," she replied. "Adam didn't say." Her fingers hovered over the lid. _'Screw it. I'm going to have to open it sooner or later'_ she thought. It was like ripping off a band-aid. _'Better get it over with.'_

Taking off the lid and setting it beside her, she was shocked at what was inside. "What is that?" McGee asked her as she pulled out some fabric. "It's my old baby blanket," she said in disbelief. "I haven't seen this since I was a kid." Rubbing the fabric between her fingers brought back so many memories. "I slept with it until I was 7," she mumbled.

Setting the blanket beside her, Amy reached back into the box and pulled out a medium sized leather-bound book. Opening it, a tear or two pooled in her eye before trailing down her cheek.

"Who's that?" McGee asked, seeing a picture of an older woman holding a toddler.

"That's my mom," Amy replied, her fingers tracing the woman's face. "This was taken when I was about 2." Underneath the photo were the words _'Mom and Peanut'_ written in someone's messy scrawl. Now Amy knew it was no coincidence. Looking at the photos in the binder as she turned the pages, she started to remember brief moments of Adam being in and out of her life. "He was telling the truth." She whispered under her breath.

"Who?" McGee asked.

"Adam. Back at the prison, he said he had tried to provide for Mom and me. Then just before he was taken back to his cell, he called me Peanut. My mom always called me that. I guess he did too." As Amy turned to the last page in the binder, her body shook at the memory captured there. As the memory raced to the front of her mind, she slammed the book shut and threw it back in the box, the baby blanket she used to cover it. Putting the lid on the box, she all but ran back to the car. McGee and Jethro followed her.

Once the two humans and dog were back in the car, the silence took over for what seemed like hours as they sat there. "We were coming back from have lunch out. I was 9 years old. It was Saturday. It didn't seem fast like you hear about or see in the movies. When I heard the horn, that was fast. And loud. But the glass, it seemed to shatter in slow motion. The pain was just numb at first; I didn't even feel it. All I could remember right then was a scream. I still don't know if it was mine or my mom's. Her new shirt was covered in blood."

Closing her eyes and fight back a sob, she felt McGee pull her into a hug. "When I woke up in the hospital, it was 2 days later. I had some scars. One is still on the back of my leg. The one on my shoulder from the seatbelt you can barely even see anymore." Pulling out of the hug, she continued. "But my mom? She was in a coma for another 5 days. She flatlined twice and I didn't even get to say goodbye until the funeral. That was two weeks after I was released from the hospital. I was led straight from the hospital to a group home. No long term foster home for me until Samuel and his lovely wife Amanda." The sarcasm on the last bit was clear in her voice. "You know what the worst part was?" she asked McGee, who stayed silent. "The driver, who was just running a red light, walked away with no injuries. He life continued."

McGee pulled her into another hug, which Amy all but fell into. She sobbed right then for everything she had been denied and for all the suffering she had dealt with. A proper home and a mom for 7 years, until she was adopted. She sobbed for the loss of her mom and the bits of abuse she had suffered.

Once she had cried out all those emotions, she accepted another Kleenex from McGee before he drove her back to his apartment. The rest of their time off was comfortable. Then Monday morning came and McGee exited the elevator at NCIS, followed by…

"Agent Baxter reporting for duty sir." Amy said, giving the Boss-Man a salute. The time off had done her some good. She had gotten her closure and now she knew that she was meant to be here.

"Good to have you back," Gibbs said as he stood up and hugged her, truly glad to have his other **"daughter"** back at NCIS. He had always thought of Ziva, Abby and Amy as his daughters. Just as McGee and Tony were his boys, DNA be damned. His team was his family.

"Me too Dad," she whispered in his ear, which brought a smile to Gibbs face. "Me too."

 **There you have it. Amy's dealt with the pain from her past and is now back on board with her team.**


	6. Help!

**Okay, so I need your opinions.**

 **I was thinking about having McGee and Amy have a relationship or establish something? Would anyone like to see that or not? It won't be on again and off again like with McGee and Abby in the show.**

 **But would that work with Gibbs's rule? Or could McGee and Abby find a way around it?**

 **Would it be too weird or just plain not a good idea?**

 **Let me know what you think in reviews and PM.**

 **Stay tuned...**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Okay this chapter takes place a while after Amy Baxter has dealt with the whole Adam thing. She's had her closure and is happily working at NCIS. Let's say the Adam stuff happened in early spring, maybe March or so. Given that time frame, I'm having this chapter take place around July/August.**

 _Amy's POV…_

It was one of those rare, perfect summer days in DC. The weather was perfect, not too hot with just enough breeze. The sky was a crystal-clear blue. Currently there were no cases at work, so the team had time off. With the nice day that it was, I decided to go out and take a jog with Jethro, maybe grab some lunch at my favorite bistro. At a corner, I looked at Jethro and asked him, "Which way boy? Wanna go through the park?" He barked and tugged lightly in the opposite direction, so when the walk sign lit up, we stayed on the main street.

About 15 minutes later, I slowed my pace as we came to some of the boutiques. Passing by one storefront window, I backed up and stopped to look at one blouse that was on a mannequin. "Hey, what do you think of this blouse?" I asked Jethro, as he sat panting. The blouse in question was a lavender color and had fluttery sleeves. He cocked his head to the side, looked at the shirt then at me and gave me a doggie smile before barking happily. "Yeah, I think it looks good too." As I checked the hours of the shop, cursing under my breath when I saw it wouldn't be open until tomorrow, Jethro was content by my side for a few moments. But then he started to bark and pull me quite forcefully, before pulling the leash out of my hand. He then took off down the sidewalk several feet away. "Jethro come!" He just barked and went further down the sidewalk away from me. "Jethro! Heel!" I commanded. He refused to respond to my commands.

With my training, I knew something was wrong and that Jethro was trying to tell me something. But I just wasn't sure what. I carefully took in my surroundings, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary. So I chose to go after him.

But my decision came too late…

* * *

 _3_ _rd_ _person POV_

An explosion that seemed to come out of nowhere, caused destruction in the general area. People were injured, things knocked over, small fires here and there.

What no one seemed to take immediate notice of in the middle of the chaos was a dog on a leash barking then whining and a woman flying through the store window she was in front of. Her body knocked over several clothing racks and her head came into contact with one of them, knocking her unconscious.

 **A/N: Yeah i know its shorter than i normally post, but i wanted to leave it at a cliffhanger**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: It's been a bit since I posted. I was on vacation and since getting back I've had to re-adjust, not just to the time zone, but the temperature difference. So my brain has slowly been working on several things. But today my brain has been on fast-forward mode, so I'm doing a lot of writing and a lot of work on creative projects.**

 ** _RINGGGG! RINGGG!_**

Blindly reaching out, a sleepy man's hand came into contact with the device that had disturbed his slumber. Swiping the screen and holding the device to his ear, he said, "Hello?"

 _"Is this Timothy McGee?"_

"Yes. Who is this?"

 _"This is DC Animal Control. We have a male German Shepard in our facility."_ At these words Tim was a bit more awake. _"When we picked him up, his tags and collar were still around his neck. We tried to contact the owner on the tags, Amy Baxter. So we took him back to the kennels and scanned him for a microchip to double check ownership, your name and contact number came up."_

"Amy and I have joint ownership of Jethro. Is he okay?" He asked the animal control worker at the other end, a bad feeling rising in the pit of his stomach.

 _"Yes Jethro is fine. He's a little agitated but his health is fine."_

That bad feeling grew larger, moving towards his chest. "He shouldn't be agitated. Where did you pick him up?"

 _"There was an explosion downtown in one of the shopping districts. Jethro was by a bistro. His leash had been trapped under an overturned table. We had a hard time getting him in the van."_

 ** _BEEP BEEP_**

The phone signaled that another caller was trying to get through. "I'll be right down to get him." Timothy ended the call with Animal Control and picked up the other caller once he saw who it was. "Boss?"

 _"McGee get your ass downtown. Ziva will send you directions."_

Stumbling out of bed and putting the phone on speaker as he threw on some clothes, he asked, "What's going on?" He knew they were on time off and that Gibbs wouldn't call unless something was really wrong.

 _"There was an explosion. We're working with DCPD on this one."_

His boss's words made him freeze. Picking up the phone from his bed, he turned off speaker and asked Gibbs, "Is there a bistro nearby?"

 _Something in the young man's voice made Gibbs realize that McGee wasn't asking because he was hungry. "When you get here, you and I are gonna talk." Then he cut the call._

McGee left his apartment and made a pit stop at the animal shelter to pick up Jethro before booking it to the area where the rest of the team had gathered.

 **A/N: I know it's kinda short, but I love leaving it on cliffhangers. Next chapter will be longer, I promise…**


	9. Chapter 9

Once Tim had arrived at the chaotic site, he got out of his car and locked it, with Jethro in the backseat. Then he flashed his badge to get past the barriers that the local LEO'S had set up and were trying to enforce while they dealt with any damage and injuries they encountered. Once Tim was past the barriers, he ran over to Gibbs. "Hey Boss."

"Walk with me McGee." The two of them moving over to a table that had been set up with coffee and baked goods for the officers, Gibbs poured himself a cup of coffee and asked McGee, "Why did you ask about a bistro?"

Before Timothy could answer, Tony ran over. "Took you long enough McTardy." Which of course earned him a Gibbs-slap. "Right Boss. Hey anyone seen Baxter? I called her, but she didn't pick up."

McGee paled even worse. "Looking a little green there, McGills." Tony braced himself for another Gibbs slap at the slip from his mouth, but received the Gibbs glare, which was worse in his opinion. Making a wise choice, Tony went back over towards Ziva and back to work. "McGee, I'm still waiting for an answer," Gibbs told him.

"Before you called me in, Animal Control said they found Jethro near an explosion, his leash trapped underneath an overturned table." Timothy said. Before Gibbs could reply, a local LEO came over. "You McGee?" Tim nodded. "Your dog is going nuts. He's barking like crazy."

McGee and Gibbs ran over to the car and opened the back door. Jethro leaped out of the vehicle once the door was open enough and sped off towards one of the destroyed buildings with McGee and Gibbs hot on his tail.

 _Meanwhile…_

As I opened my eyes, things were fuzzy at first and there was ringing in my ears. As the initial ringing subsided, I did a mental check. My whole body hurt like hell, but I didn't feel like I was bleeding anywhere. The part of my body that hurt the worse was my leg. Any sounds I could hear were muffled. _'Okay I might have a head_ injury' Then I thought I heard a dog bark, and I knew that bark anywhere. _'Jethro'_ Then I heard a voice call out my name "Baxter!"

 _Gibbs POV_

Running with one of his team after his furry namesake, the dog led them over to a broken window and barked incessantly. McGee held back the dog while he carefully climbed through the open storefront window and called out for the missing member of his team. "Baxter!"

 _Amy's POV_

Hearing Gibbs call out my name, I wanted to yell for him, but it hurt to move. I wasn't even sure if I could speak. As I tried to figure out how to get his attention I saw a clothing rack that was still standing despite the explosion. My foot just reached it. I knew what I was about to do would hurt, but it was the only way I could think of to let Gibbs know where I was in the building and that I was alive. Bracing myself for the pain, I bit my lower lip. Then I kicked out my left leg, which knocked over the rack and I held in a scream of pain that radiated through my leg.

 _3rd person POV_

Gibbs heard the crash and went over to investigate the source of the noise. He found Amy on the floor, bits of debris in her hair, covered in dust and bruises. "Baxter," he said, getting her attention. She had her eyes closed, but opened them when she heard her Gibbs voice, much to the relief of her boss. "Hey Boss," she whispered with a smile. Then whimpered and closed her eyes as her head started to pound.

"I need you to stay awake," Gibbs told Amy. "McGee!" He yelled. "Get an ambulance!"

McGee, still holding Jethro by his leash tightly, said, "Yes sir!" Looking around, he noticed a couple of EMT's nearby and let out a whistle, which caught their attention. "Front and center!" The two medical personal grabbed their bags and ran over to where the man was standing and he redirected them inside the building.

Once inside, they assessed the situation and radioed one of the other EMT's on site. A few seconds later, a stretcher was brought inside the building and Amy was loaded onto it and quickly taken to the closest hospital. Gibbs followed while McGee was ordered to stay on site and finish up the scene with Tony and Ziva.


End file.
